Our Duties and Desires
by MaryLynetteluvswriting
Summary: A year ago, Gracia passed away and left Maes Hughes alone with Elicia. One day, his work in the military sent him off to Dublith to investigate some underground dealings, but he finds himself running into a mysterious and enticing man along the way. Will his duties rule over his greed, or will Greed choose for him? SingleDad!Hughes X Greed
1. Chapter 1 FAMILY, MISSIONS AND FRIENDS

The door cracked open slightly, letting a sliver of light penetrate the darkness of the room.

Sad, tired eyes looked at the crib, in which a little girl was tucked in neatly with pink sheets and sound asleep. Her short mousy brown hair splayed over the pillow, her usually sparkling green eyes shut in her slumber. Her arms were stretched out at odd angles, and she was snoring peacefully, her hand still tightened on a ragged stuffed bunny. Her name was Elicia, and she was his precious child.

Softly shutting the door, Maes Hughes turned, and strode down the hall, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

He walked into his room, picking up the packed suitcase on his bed and walked out, down the hall and into the living room, where a blonde-haired girl sat on the couch.

"Thanks for doing this for me, Winry," Maes gave her a tired smile, "I know it's last minute but I really appreciate it."

"Of course, Mr. Hughes!" Winry said, smiling. "I love coming over to stay with Elicia, it's no problem really."

"Elicia is so cute, isn't she?" Maes gushed, despite his fatigue, "I wish I could stay with her longer, but they really need backup in Dublith." Winry nodded understandingly.

"It's fine," Winry reassured him, "She'll be okay. Go take care of whatever you need to."

"Thanks," Maes grinned, "You're a life saver." Waving a hand, he walked out the door, with Winry curled up on the couch sketching out her new automail project.

The trains' whistle blew loudly, and the cabin pushed forward as the civilian train started off, trudging forward into the darkness while the majority of its somnolent passengers slept.

But Maes was awake, more so than he thought he'd be, and lost in thought as he gazed out of the window.

He leaned against the window, his jaw clenching as a hard expression took over his features as his mind traveled to the thoughts that he had been over a hundred, a thousand times, but still couldn't stop thinking about.

The tug in his chest never went away - but it became more obvious whenever he thought of her. Her, his lovely wife, her cute short cut brown hair and her dazzling smile, weighing on his heart every time he remembered the last faint heartbeat he felt from her palm, the last glimmer of life in her eyes before it was gone.

The stars he saw out the window, they glittered like her eyes - her beautiful green eyes, which his deepest fear was to forget. The more time that passed, like the scenery flying by around the train, the more things seemed a blur - the more, as he was scared of, the more he forgot about her. The more she seemed like just a dream, a far off dream where reality was just a fuzzy line and he sometimes thought her life was the fantasy, instead of her death.

A dreary sigh escaped his lips, and he tiredly gazed at the nighttime fields. He wondered if he could ever love again, if he could hold himself together for his darling daughter and if he could ever somehow find a way to live with the guilt and the sadness of his beautiful Gracia's passing away.

Somnolently, quietly, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

Ice clinked together in a half empty old-fashioned whisky glass as a hand swirled it around. Bored violet eyes lingered on the strong, dark liquid that sloshed around slightly, and a sigh escaped from the man who sat at the bar of a sketchy-looking pub.

"What's with the sigh, Greed?" A curvy woman with a green tattoo down the side of her neck and shoulder sat next to Greed, waving the bartender over. "You don't usually drink, either."

"Hey, just 'cause alcohol doesn't affect me doesn't mean I don't like it," He mused, "But, Martel, those punks on the south side are really starting to piss me off." The woman known as Martel took the glass of whiskey the bartender handed her, and took a small sip of the pungent liquid as she looked over at him.

"Well, I heard that the military are closing in," She said, "So we won't have to worry all that much so long as we stay out of the picture. The military will take them out quickly, so we won't have to put up with them much longer." Greed nodded, listening to her as he quietly sipped at his own drink.

"So long as they don't bring attention to us," He muttered, "then they'll really be dead."

"Honestly, I'd love to take them out, but the military base in the east has been talking about a new Intelligence officer visiting from Central, and that doesn't sound very appealing." Martel shrugged, "Apparently he's a big shot in his field, so we would be better off looking out for him."

"Hmm…" Greed tilted his glass, staring at it thoughtfully. "Sounds interesting." Martel looked at him suspiciously, trying to figure out what he was thinking. She could see him contemplating something, but she just shrugged off the feeling she got and continued to drink her whiskey, relishing the tingling in her throat.

And so, the tattooed snake chimera and the avaricious homunculus sat at the bar and drank in the grimy bar, hidden inside the pub whose worn sign read, _Devil's Nest_.

"We have arrived in Dublith - you may begin to gather their things and prepare for arrival." One of the attendants called down the aisle to the passengers, alerting them just as the train started to slow.

Maes rubbed his eyes, brushed off his civilian clothes, and sent a glance over to his suitcase that sat on the leather seat beside him.

He thought with a yawn, _I hope Elicia's alright and has a good day today. _And with his daughters' sparkling smile fresh in his mind, he got the energy to get himself up off the seat, grab his suitcase and exit the train to stride into the station along with the crowd of other passengers.

After finally making it through all of the people and out of the station, he looked up into the sky. Dawn had colored the sky with its brilliant oranges and majestic reds, the clouds floated over the horizon a fluffy cotton candy pink. He stood there for a moment, admiring the morning sky and rolling his shoulders, pondering what he'd do first.

_They shouldn't be expecting me for a few hours,_ He thought, checking his watch, _so I might as well check into the hotel and change… and maybe get some breakfast._ He nodded.

_Yeah, that sounds good._

**Hey guys! **

**Is it just me or does "the tattooed snake chimera and the avaricious homunculus sat at the bar" sound like the start of a bad joke? Hahaha**

**So, this might seem a bit of a weird ship, but this is a result of this thing that happened at Anime Boston last weekend.**

**Okay, so on Saturday at the con there was this Dating Game panel. You know, theres bachelors/bachelorettes and stuff? Well, usually most of them are cosplayers from different animes, but the lil shit who organized it decided to put the only two fma cosplayers in the same round. a Greed cosplayer as the main bachelor and a Maes Hughes cosplayer as one of the other three bachelors. And so, basically the whole round consisted of Greed and Hughes snarking and sassing each other and Hughes and the hosts making painfully funny jokes like, "If you go out with Greed, you might actually live to see Elicia's fourth birthday" and Hughes, being so done with the turn of events, constantly got up and said, "I really want to make a phone call right now" (phone booth ;.;) but in the end Greed picked Hughes and they were the cutest thing and throughout the other rounds Hughes kept running away from Greed around the edges of the room an it was literally killing me and is still killing me and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I've been obsessing over this ship for the past week because those two cosplayers were perfect and charismatic and it fits well**

**okay I'm sure you're all done with me obsessing over my new found love for singledad!Hughes and Greed ship so I'll just shut up now!**

**Thanks guys an have a good day/night and sleep well at night knowing I'll update this soon**

**Aight, follow and review! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2 DUBLITH, PARTNERS, AND CAUTION

The day was a bright one, and right after Maes had dropped his stuff at the hotel and got dressed in his military uniform, grabbed a bite to eat for breakfast at a small corner store that made killer bacon, and caught a taxi, he finally arrived outside of East Dublith military station.

Brushing off his uniform as he got out of the taxi, he took one last glance at the sunny sky before walking into the military station.

He looked around the inside as he approached the front desk, observing. Central is nicer, He thought, before turning to face the assistant posted at the front desk.

"Hello," She chimed, "How can I help you?" Maes took out his ID from his jacket and set it down on the desk, giving the woman a tired smile.

"Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes," Maes stood up straight, "I was called in from Central to help with the investigations of the Reynold's operations case."

"Oh!" The woman said at his introduction, "Yes, we've been waiting for you. Please, come this way." She stood up and walked past the desk, and passed through the door into the main building. Maes followed her, striding along slowly as he looked around.

The woman led him through two hallways before she stopped in front of a translucent glass door. She pushed it out and held it open for Maes, who nodded and said a small thank you before looking in front of him.

Bookshelves and tall file cabinets lined the walls, and the only clear spaces were covered in maps and pictures and string. Far back in the room sat a beautiful cherry wood desk, meticulously polished, and paperwork stacked on it neatly. And behind that desk sat a big, muscular man, outfitted in a uniform with stripes and stars that placed him in the same rank as Maes.

The woman saluted her superior, before letting her arms fall to her side and saying, "Sir, this is Lieutenant Colonel Hughes." The man nodded in acknowledgement, got to his feet and stuck out a hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Lieutenant Colonel," He said, and Maes shook his hand firmly. The other Lieutenant Colonel smiled, his mustache curling up slightly with the curve of his lips, "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Weston Dugrand."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too," Maes responded with a smile. He blinked, still feeling a bit tired from his trip, and looked at Weston. "So, where should I start?" Weston clapped his hands together once he pulled away from the handshake.

"Right," He said, looking at the woman who had led Maes to his office. "Sergeant Miller, can you please call in Captain Stone?" The woman saluted before turning around and walking off, and it was quiet for a moment before Maes turned back to Weston.

"She'll explain everything you need to know," Weston said, "She was assigned this case two months ago, until she discovered it was bigger than she anticipated, and requested a superior be assigned on the case with her. She'll be your partner on the case from now on, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask." Maes nodded, just as the woman, Sergeant Miller, reappeared with another woman who walked beside her.

"Lieutenant Colonel," The new woman saluted Weston, before turning to look over Maes. Maes returned the favor, examining what he figured to be his new partner.

She stood a little less than a foot shorter than him, with smooth, straight caramel hair. She had a cute button nose and full lips, both of which made her look younger than she probably was, but endearing nonetheless. She had glittering, kind gray-blue eyes, bright with the energy and enthusiasm of a new, young soldier, one who had not yet seen the carnage and fires of war.

"Captain, this is Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes," Weston introduced.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," She saluted him, before sticking out her hand. "I'm Captain Kat Stone." Maes shook her hand, returning her smile.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Maes said, standing up straight. "Well, I expect that you've prepared to inform me about this infamous case?" Kat grinned at him, and nodded.

"Of course, sir." She turned back to Weston, "If you'll excuse us, sir, I'd like to take Lieutenant Colonel Hughes to my office." Weston waved a hand.

"Sure, go ahead," He said, casually, and once Kat's back was turned, he mouthed to Maes, "Good luck!"

And Maes was left to wonder what he meant as Kat started walking and he had to turn and catch up, heading to her office so she could fill him in on the whole thing.

"So, I assume you received a folder with the basic case file?" Kat said, turning into a room. Maes followed her, looking around her small office, slightly impressed.

"Yes, I reviewed the file," he said absentmindedly. Wow, she's only a Captain and she has a whole office to herself... This really must be a small station, Maes thought as he closed the door behind him.

"Alright, then I assume you're updated on the basics," Kat swerved on her heel to face the doorway, and looked up. She gestured at the wall surrounding the doorway, "There, look."

The entire wall was covered with news articles, ripped out pieces of paper from what appeared to be a small notebook, pictures, and different colored strings connected all over the place.

"You are something," Maes commented, his glasses glinting sharply as he examined her beautiful array of information scattered all over the wall.

"We still don't know who the drug lord in charge of the operation is, but we do have suspected members of the organization. They call themselves the Black Line, and they started appearing in Dublith about a year ago. Since then, the use and distribution of narcotics has gone up by at least twenty percent, but it's so underground that it's been hard enough to even get as much information as we have." Kat pointed to a cluster of pictures, "There, there, and there are a few of the people I suspect to be involved. I'm still trying to pin down who to start tracking, but I know a possible informant who I was going to check out right before you arrived. Would you like to come with me?" Kat glanced over at Maes, who nodded.

"Sounds fun," He said with a slight grin, turning to Kat. "Lead the way, Captain." Kat laughed lightly.

"Please," She said, rolling her eyes. "Call me Kat."

"Where exactly are we?" Maes asked, his voice laced with suspicion. Kat paused in her tracks, and looked back at Maes.

"We're on the west side of Dublith," She hummed, shrugging before continuing on, her movements relaxed yet cautious. "It's kind of the bad part of town."

"I see that," Maes mumbled, looking around at his surroundings with a slightly dangerous look. Both of them had changed into civilian clothes, as Kat said it'd be difficult to not scare everyone away while in uniform, and so, undercover it was. That didn't stop Maes from carrying his gun, or a multitude of other small weapons on his person.

Maes glanced over as they walked down the sidewalk, looking up at a sign that read, Devil's Nest. For a reason he didn't quite understand, a shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly looked away.

They continued walking straight for another five minutes or so before Kat abruptly turned into an alleyway, leaving him to pause and look over as if to see if she had really turned into the alley. Sure enough, she was striding further into the shadowed area, and he caught up, tensed and ready to attack at any moment.

Then, Kat stopped, and Maes caught a glimpse of another woman leaning against the left worn-down brick wall, as if she had been expecting them.

"What do you want?" She asked, looking at Kat through narrowed eyes. Kat laughed at her paranoia.

"Don't worry, I haven't come for you yet," Kat dismissed her worry, which made Maes realize that it seemed like she already knew they were officers.

This whole undercover charade seems a bit pointless, then, he mused to himself, holding back a sigh.

"You sure?" The woman said, eyeing Maes. "It doesn't seem like you'd bring extra man power just to interrogate me." Kat rolled her eyes.

"He's my new partner," Kat said, "Just in from Central Command to help with the Black Line investigation." The woman nodded, and looked around quickly before getting up and starting to walk.

"Come on, let's at least talk somewhere where other criminals won't be peeping at us," The woman remarked, and Kat grinned at Maes.

"Ease up, Colonel," She whispered, "If you look too paranoid, everyone's gonna know you're a soldier." Maes stiffened, and Kat just laughed it off.

"I'll try," Maes said, rolling his shoulders as he followed Kat.

"That's the spirit," Kat said, and walked a little faster to catch up with the other woman.

After a few turns and a little walking, she unlocked a small back door and entered, and waited until the two soldiers were in before locking the door again.

"Alright," She flipped on a light, and sat at an old, well-used wooden table. "Now, what can I get out of this?" Kat gestured to two chairs, and Maes sat beside her, across from the woman.

Now that her face wasn't obscured by shadows, Maes could finally see her clearly. She was tall, about as tall as he was, and nicely muscled. She wore steel-tipped leather combat boots, baggy wine-colored sweatpants, and a black tank top that showed off her tattooed arms. She had four piercings under her lip, two on either side, and her dark eyes were sharp and a little bit tired. She had swept back black hair with tiny tufts of light pink at the tips, a hairstyle that he guessed to be a result of wearing a hat. But there was this unshakable feeling, this aura to her, that made her seem slightly insane and extremely dangerous.

"You get me turning the other cheek to your activities once again and telling the Warrant Officer on your case that I still don't know anything, Angela," Kat said.

"Can't you at least get me a pardon for something?" The woman, Angela, drawled, and Kat gave her a look.

"Besides, as far as I can tell, the Black Line has been as annoying to you as it has been to us, so you'd be better off just telling me as much as you know." Angela sighed at Kat's words, knowing she was right, but still disappointed she couldn't get more out of them. Maes looked over at Kat, about to say something, but then deciding not to and entrusting her with the interrogation since she seemed to be on some familiar ground.

"Fine." Angela sat back, and stared at the table while the wheels in her head started to turn, "Alright, so, you need names?" Kat nodded, taking out a notebook and watching Angela intently. "Jaiden Rayd, Natasha Steel, Mormose Billingham, Ivan… I don't know his last name, but apparently they call him Ivan the Terrible, the cheesy idiots… And then there's Claire Whimington, Jade Blackforest, and Jared Isenhore."

"I got two of those right, at least," Kat said, looking down at the names she had scrawled in her notebook. "You think any of them are running the operation?"

"No," Angela shook her head, "Not really, although if you're looking to take out the kingpin, I suggest you keep an eye on Billingham. I heard talk that he's one of Ivan's men, and if Ivan has men then he's probably somehow connected higher up the food chain, if you know what I mean." Angela shrugged, "Although I've never really seen him myself, Ivan sounds like a pretty over suspicious dick so I also suggest you take some caution with you, too."

"Where can I find Billingham?" Kat asked, and Angela thought for a moment before answering.

"You can find him by the convenience store up on Grade Lane," She said, "He and his buddies drink a lot more than they should… Their kidneys are probably all messed up." Kat bit back a snicker at the disappointment in her voice, for a reason Maes didn't seem to understand, at least yet anyway.

"That's great, thanks for the help." Kat stood up, and slipped Angela a piece of paper. "If you have any more information, give me a call on a private line. Who knows, if you lead us to the boss, we might be able to get a pardon for one or two of your charges." Kat got up, and Maes followed her.

Maes nodded to Angela in acknowledgement, and Angela gave him a wink before striding over to unlock the door, waving slightly as they left.

Maes couldn't shake the feeling, so he turned to Kat as they walked back and asked, "What was Angela charged with?"

"Multiple counts of assault and battery, almost all of which resulted in the disappearance of two or more organs of the victims," Kat said nonchalantly. "She's an organ dealer."

Maes paled, and had a feeling like he had just missed a passing tornado. And hey, welcome to Dublith, the only town with drug and organ dealers to look out for.

**Hey guys! Sooo hope you like the new chapter! And just letting you know I'll probably update again sometime within this week (a chapter that will probably have Greed and Hughes FINALLY meeting) aaaaand it's gonna be epic!**

**Honestly I really just want to this authors note out of the way so I continue writing this so bye! have a nice week! **

**My oh so lovely greedhughes shippers and followers, please review and follow/favorite if you haven't already!**

**Thanks!**


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